As a lover of all things kimchi, I can think of nothing finer on a cool autumn night than a steaming bowl of kimchi jjigae. Chilli hot, vinegar sour, and packing a hefty garlicky punch, kimchi jjigae is not for the timid of palate (though the chilli heat can easily be tamed down by using less gochujang, or even omitting the gochugaru).

Kimchi jjigae also has serious sinus-clearing properties, and when a cold threatens, I’d take it over chicken soup any day of the week.

I have yet to convince the girls to join us in a bowl of kimchi jjigae – as we say around here, they are still “learning to like kimchi”…;-)

Kimchi jjigae
(serves 2)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

a thumb of ginger, grated

1 Tb soy sauce

1 Tb rice wine

salt and pepper

2 tsp sunflower oil

100g pork belly, thinly sliced

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 cup kimchi, squeezed to remove the liquid and roughly chopped

1 Tb gochujang (or to taste)

1 Tb gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes), or to taste

1/2 cup kimchi juice

1 1/2 cups water

200g block of tofu, cubed

2 green onions, cut into short lengths

In a bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, salt and pepper. Toss with the pork belly, and leave to marinate for at least half an hour.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened.

Add pork and stir until browned, then add the kimchi and cook a few minutes more.

Stir the gochujang and gochugaru into the meat and vegetable mixture, then add the kimchi juice and water and bring to a simmer.

Add the tofu and simmer for about twenty minutes. Add the green onion and cook five minutes more.